The present invention relates to assemblies used to mount rotatable shafts, such as used with visors within motor vehicles, and, in particular, to a mounting assembly that allows a visor with a rotatable shaft to be installed in a vehicle without the use of tools or additional fasteners.
Sunshades or visors for vehicles are generally mounted near an upper corner of the windshield. Sunvisors typically include a visor blade which may be rotated about a horizontal axis between a storage position adjacent the vehicle headliner and a use position adjacent, for example, the windshield of the vehicle. Conventional sunvisors are also typically rotatable about a generally vertical axis to permit the visor blade to be positioned alongside either the windshield or the side window. A multitude of visor mounting assemblies known in the art utilize screws to attach the assembly to the sheet metal panel that forms the vehicle roof, which assembly is often so attached after a headliner has been installed in the vehicle to upholster the interior surface of the vehicle roof.
To facilitate the process of installing a sunvisor within a vehicle during manufacture, a variety of screwless visor mounting assemblies previously have been developed, which assemblies fit within one or more apertures provided in the sheet metal roof panel. Representative mounting assemblies include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,031,954, 5,499,854, 5,697,140, 5,857,728, and 6,068,323, the disclosure of each of these patents being expressly incorporated herein by reference. While typically effective to mount the sunvisor with lower labor costs than assemblies requiring fastening screws and the like, screwless visor mounting assemblies are not without their shortcomings. For example, to appropriately complete the installation process, typically these assemblies have a component which must be rotated after its insertion within the aperture of the panel. In some cases, whether due to over rotation or under rotation of that component, an improper relative rotation occurs resulting in an incorrect installation of the mounting assembly, and therefore the visor, in the vehicle.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a mounting assembly which overcomes these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention provides a mounting assembly capable of being installed in a blind hole to support a rotatable shaft, such as used with a vehicle visor, without additional fasteners or additional locking operations. The mounting assembly also may be integrated into a modular headliner system in which the mounting assembly is initially secured to a headliner, and then when used to mount a visor secures the headliner in the vehicle.
In one form thereof, the invention comprises a mounting assembly for mounting a visor to a vehicle panel. The vehicle panel has an aperture, a distal surface, and a proximal surface. The assembly includes an elbow adapted to be connected to a visor. An inner bracket is provided which defines a first opening within which the elbow is received. The elbow is rotatable within the inner bracket opening about an axis extending in an axial direction of the inner bracket. An outer bracket defines a second opening within which the inner bracket is received. The outer bracket includes at least one surface region for operable engagement with the panel proximal surface. The outer bracket includes a third opening. A first catch and a second catch are associated with at least one of the inner bracket and the outer bracket. Each of the first and second catches are adapted to operably engage a panel distal surface to resist withdrawal of the mounting assembly when installed in the panel aperture. At least one of the first catch and second catch comprise a panel catching portion of a locking arm. The panel catching portion is radially movable relative to the inner bracket between an extended position and a retracted position. The panel catching portion is biased radially outwardly through the third opening in the outer bracket toward the extended arrangement at which the panel catching portion and the at least one surface region of the outer bracket axially capture the panel therebetween to hold the mounting assembly in the aperture of the panel.
The invention also comprises a mounting assembly for mounting a component to a panel. The panel has an aperture, a distal surface, and a proximal surface. The assembly comprises an inner bracket adapted to be operably attached to the component. An outer bracket defines a first opening within which the inner bracket is received. The inner bracket is movable within the outer bracket opening in an axially direction between first and second axial positions. A first catch and a second catch are associated with at least one of the inner bracket and the outer bracket. Each of the first and second catches are adapted to operably engage the panel distal surface when the inner bracket is disposed in the first axial position to resist withdrawal of the mounting assembly when installed in the panel aperture. At least one of the first catch and second catch comprise a panel catching portion of a locking arm. The locking arm is connected to one of the inner bracket and the outer bracket. The other of the inner bracket and outer bracket includes a ramp engaging surface. The locking arm includes a ramped region. The panel catching portion is biased radially outwardly from a retracted position to an extended position. When the inner bracket is disposed in the first axial position and the mounting assembly is located in an insulation axial position within the panel aperture, the panel catching portion extends beyond the expanse of the panel aperture in the extended arrangement, so as to overlay the panel distal surface and resist proximal withdrawal of the mounting assembly. When the inner bracket is moved radially relative to the outer bracket from the first axial position to the second axial position, the ramped region slides along the ramp engaging surface to radially shift the panel catching portion from the extended position to the retracted position. The panel catching portion fits through the panel aperture when in the retracted arrangement to allow proximal withdrawal of the mounting assembly from the aperture in the panel.
The invention still further comprises, in one form thereof, a mounting assembly for mounting a vehicle visor to an aperture panel. The assembly comprises an elbow attachable to the visor and an inner bracket defining an opening within which the elbow is received. The elbow is rotatable within the inner bracket opening about an axial extending in an axial direction. An outer bracket defines an opening in which the inner bracket is received. Means are provided for attaching the amounting assembly to the panel, the attaching means including at least one resilient locking arm biased to a radially outward position and engagement with the panel. Means are provided for shifting said at least one resilient locking arm from the radially outward position to a radially retracted position responsive to movement in the axial direction of the inner bracket from a first position to a second position relative to the outer bracket. At least one resilient locking arm is disengaged from the panel when in the radially retracted position to allow withdrawal of the mounting assembly from the aperture panel.
The invention still further comprises a method of attaching a visor to a vehicle. The method comprises the steps of providing an aperture vehicle panel and providing a mounting assembly including an outer bracket, an inner bracket, and an elbow attachable to the visor. The inner bracket includes at least one resilient locking arm radially movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The method it further comprises inserting the elbow into an interior hollow of the inner bracket which permits rotation of the elbow within the inner bracket, inserting the inner bracket into an interior hollow of the outer bracket until at least one resilient locking arm automatically moves to the extended position through an opening in the outer bracket. After insertion of the inner bracket into the outer bracket interior hollow, the outer bracket is inserted in an axial direction into the aperture vehicle panel whereby the at least one resilient locking arm first engages a panel during the axial insertion to be shifted radially inwardly thereby, and then automatically moves from the extended position to a position over a distal surface to the panel to resist withdrawal.
In further form thereof, a subassembly for mounting within a vehicle is provided, including a headliner having an aperture therein; a visor mounting assembly including an outer bracket and an inner bracket received within the outer bracket, the outer bracket including a skirt portion and a tower portion, the tower portion inserted within the aperture and having at least one opening therein, the inner bracket including at least one locking arm, each locking arm extending through a respective opening; and a locking member attached to the tower portion intermediate the at least one locking arm and the skirt portion, the headliner captured between the locking member and the skirt portion.
One advantage of the present invention is that a mounting assembly for a rotatable shaft, such as employed in a vehicle visor, is provided which can be easily installed and then removed for service.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a mounting assembly is provided which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.
Another advantage of the inventive mounting assembly is that it may provide an audible and tactile feedback to an installer to aid in determining proper installation, thus reducing the likelihood of incurring lost time and the use of additional materials in replacing improperly installed units.
Another advantage of the inventive mounting assembly is that it may be installed by hand without the need for auxiliary tools or additional fasteners.
Still another advantage of the inventive mounting assembly is that it may be supplied as part of a modular system for mounting a headliner.
Still another advantage of the inventive mounting assembly is that at least some of the components may be used in both right or left hand applications, thereby maintaining the number of unique component parts required for a given vehicle to a minimum.
Yet another advantage of the inventive mounting assembly is that it includes an internal wireway which, during installation, helps to protect electrical wires associated with many vehicle visors.
Still other advantages of the inventive mounting assembly are that it mounts to irregular and/or inclined surfaces, can be installed and removed and reinstalled without the loss of its holding power, and can compensate for variations in the panel aperture size and thickness of the panel to which it mounts.